1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the production of a body implant and to a body implant, such as, for example, a stent, a vascular aid, a stent graft, a cardiac valve frame, an occluder, a flow diverter or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Body implants of this type are produced, for example, by the generation of textile structures from a material. It is difficult in this case to combine the material of the textile structure with other materials, as would be desirable, for example, for the introduction of markers in the form of a yarn or wire for the purpose of increasing X-ray visibility or the like. Furthermore, at least one of the materials should be given shape memory properties, for example by means of what is known as a shape setting step.
DE 696 24 834 T2 discloses a method for the production of a vascular prosthesis composed of metallic and nonmetallic yarns.
According to the prior art, it was not possible, with a combination of metallic and nonmetallic yarns, to carry out heat treatment for shape setting, as it is known. The prior art therefore had to rely, for shaping, on shaping by plastic deformation. Reference is made in this respect to the publications DE 696 24 834 T2 and DE 603 13 735 T2.
However, shaping based on heat treatment is to be preferred to shaping based on plastic deformation, since plastic deformation entails the risk of material damage. It was recognized that components in which shape setting ideally takes place as a result of a heat treatment of at least metallic yarns have different mechanical properties from what is the case with plastically deformed yarns.
In body implants, for example, the fatigue behavior may be adversely influenced by plastically deformed yarns.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to make it possible to have a connection of at least two different materials or material properties within a textile structure of, for example, a body implant.